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Wasted $140 on a junkyard ECU that was already dead on arrival
Pulled an ECU from a 2010 Civic at Pick-N-Pull in Phoenix, looked fine but no way to test it there. Got it home, plugged it in, car wouldn't even crank past the immobilizer light blinking. Ended up buying a reman unit for $180 and that fired right up. The junkyard has a 7 day return policy but I was too lazy to drive back, lesson learned. Anyone else gamble on electrical parts from salvage yards or do you stick to mechanical stuff only?
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sethr112mo ago
That $140 gamble is exactly why I only mess with certain electrical stuff from junkyards. Sensors, switches, even the alternator and starter are usually safe bets since you can test those with a multimeter right there in the lot. But ECUs are a whole different animal, too many hidden failure points and the immobilizer programming makes it almost pointless unless you get super lucky. I did the same thing with a BCM from a Corolla once, car started but the power locks went haywire and the dash lit up like a Christmas tree. Ended up spending more time chasing the gremlins than I saved on the part. Now I treat any computer module from a junkyard as a core for rebuilders, not a direct replacement.
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